Coming to Singapore to look for work

[kindred]

Hi all,

I've been browsing these forums for few weeks trying to work out what options are available to me. I'm basically wanting to relocate from the UK to SG.

The main issue I've had so far is that most job postings want local Singaporeans (or a local interview), so with that in mind I figure my chances will be higher if I'm actually in Singapore looking for work.

What I've worked out:
1) UK resident with UK passport will get 90 days tourist visa by default
2) If I come here I can only stop in hotels / Serviced Apartments until I find work and get an EP
3) I can look for work whilst here, but can't work for a Singapore company without them sponsoring my EP

What I'm not sure on:
1) If my current company offers to let me contract remotely (paying into overseas bank), do I still have to register that I'm 'working'? (since its temporary I'm not concerned about the tax being higher in the UK vs setting up a local company, which I doubt I'd have the capital to even do)
2) If I found a company here in Singapore that would hire me as a contractor to my current company, could they do that for less than 3 months (i.e. EP for the duration of my contract work)
3) If I then found a permanent role whilst contracting, would there be any issues changing jobs after only being here less than 3 months?

Thanks!

[nutnut]

Hi all,

I've been browsing these forums for few weeks trying to work out what options are available to me. I'm basically wanting to relocate from the UK to SG.

The main issue I've had so far is that most job postings want local Singaporeans (or a local interview), so with that in mind I figure my chances will be higher if I'm actually in Singapore looking for work.

What I've worked out:
1) UK resident with UK passport will get 90 days tourist visa by default
2) If I come here I can only stop in hotels / Serviced Apartments until I find work and get an EP
3) I can look for work whilst here, but can't work for a Singapore company without them sponsoring my EP

What I'm not sure on:
1) If my current company offers to let me contract remotely (paying into overseas bank), do I still have to register that I'm 'working'? (since its temporary I'm not concerned about the tax being higher in the UK vs setting up a local company, which I doubt I'd have the capital to even do)
If you are working for a UK company and staying in a hotel I guess this counts as a business trip and therefore would not be taxable, however, I will let SMS answer this as it's a grey area


2) If I found a company here in Singapore that would hire me as a contractor to my current company, could they do that for less than 3 months (i.e. EP for the duration of my contract work) If you could find an agency that would contract you in Singapore to work for the company in the UK do you mean? This is plausible, not in the nature of the EP scheme, but I am sure Singapore would be pleased to have you bringing your tax etc ashore!

3) If I then found a permanent role whilst contracting, would there be any issues changing jobs after only being here less than 3 months? I am guessing from your previous comments that you are an IT contractor of sorts and it depends on your rate when you are over here (if it's over $8K a month or not) if it IS, then you could look into applying for a PEP once you have your 3 month contract sorted and an EP. This then gives you an option to move companies without having to reapply for an EP each time. a little more flexibility.

Thanks!

[Travelguy]

You can actually apply for your PEP while visiting on a visa. If you've never worked or gone to school in Singapore you will need to apply manually (with a form delivered to Singapore post. Criteria would be you're currently earning more than S$8000 per month for at least 6 months.

A tip on this, send copies of all your supporting documents with he application if you choose to go this route, as it helps speed things up.